In conversation with Christien Wong: ‘We are searching for what Hong Kong’s true choral voice can be’

For Christien Wong, conductor of The Mad Singers, this year’s World Choir Festival carries a particular resonance. The ensemble is not only performing on an international platform; it is doing so in its home city, at a moment when Hong Kong’s choral scene is finding new visibility and confidence.

‘For The Mad Singers, performing at the World Choir Festival on our home turf is an absolute thrill,’ Wong says. ‘As a youth choir, our identity is fuelled by the boundless energy and diverse pulse of Hong Kong. For us, choral music isn’t just tradition – it’s an active, living celebration.’

That sense of movement runs through the way Wong speaks about the choir: not as an ensemble trying to fit neatly into an inherited tradition, but as one shaped by youth, experiment, local identity and international curiosity.

‘Sharing the stage with exceptional global choirs allows us to bring our vibrant, youthful perspective into a profound artistic dialogue,’ he says. ‘We are excited to channel our collective passion and show the world the dynamic, innovative and forward-looking spirit of Hong Kong’s next generation of choral artists.’

For The Mad Singers, the location of the festival matters. International exchange is always valuable, but there is something different about encountering the wider choral world at home.

‘Performing alongside world-class international ensembles right here in our home city is both a profound honour and an incredibly grounding experience,’ Wong says. ‘There is a unique kind of pride in welcoming the global choral community to Hong Kong and sharing our stage with them.

‘For us, it means we don’t just get to witness the global standard from afar; we get to engage with it directly on our own soil, using our own acoustic spaces to create a shared musical dialogue.’

It is also, he suggests, a chance for Hong Kong musicians to look inward as well as outward.

‘It forces us to ask what we, as local musicians, bring to the global table,’ Wong says. ‘Ultimately, it elevates our sense of purpose – it proves that Hong Kong is not just a commercial hub, but a vibrant cultural crossroads where diverse choral traditions can meet, clash and harmonise beautifully, inspiring our own singers to push the boundaries of what is possible here at home.’

A programme of bridges

The Mad Singers’ festival programme reflects that idea of artistic dialogue. Wong describes the choir’s musical story as ‘one of bridges’, connecting the ensemble’s own journey with wider contemporary choral currents.

‘Marking our fifth anniversary, we are proud to premiere a specially commissioned work by a local composer, Harold S.H. Chan, that honours our journey and the vibrant spirit of Hong Kong’s youth,’ he says.

The new work, 聽風的歌 (Song of the Fervent Wind), was commissioned for the choir’s fifth anniversary and sits at the centre of the programme.

‘Listeners should look out for the sweeping, kinetic vocal lines that mimic a powerful wind, capturing the momentum and passion of our ensemble over the past five years,’ Wong says.

Around that anniversary piece, the choir has built a programme that places Hong Kong music alongside contemporary international repertoire.

‘Our curation is a deeply personal journey that bridges our own milestones with contemporary choral landscapes,’ Wong says. ‘We wanted to celebrate our roots while exploring universal themes of nature, transience and spirituality – balancing exceptional local talent with international contemporary work.’

Among the international works is Soleil by Federica Lo Pinto, which Wong describes as introducing ‘a fresh, Slovenian contemporary sonic palette’. ‘Listen for the intricate, luminous vocal writing that brilliantly evokes the warmth and brilliance of the sun,’ he says.

The programme also includes works by three Hong Kong composers. Adrian Wong’s Candy Sky, setting text by e.e. cummings, invites listeners to hear ‘shifting harmonic colours that mimic a changing twilight sky’.

Alvin Tam’s 我看到天空的藍色很謙卑 (I Behold the Humility of the Sky’s Blue), based on a poem by local poet Ngai Pang Chin, explores a quieter terrain.

‘Listen for the quiet, understated textures,’ Wong says. ‘It is an exercise in choral humility and profound space.’

Gershom Tse’s 客旅 Pilgrim, a reimagining of Psalm 23, brings a more dramatic dimension.

‘It is a profound reimagining of Psalm 23 exploring life and death,’ Wong says. ‘Listen out for the dramatic narrative arc and atmospheric harmonies that guide the listener through the valley toward transcendent peace.’

For Wong, the point is not simply to alternate local and international repertoire. It is to show how these sound worlds can sit together within the identity of a Hong Kong youth choir.

‘We are bringing a global perspective to the stage through contemporary Western works, which demand an immense amount of vocal agility and emotional depth,’ he says. ‘By placing these distinct sounds side by side, the story we are truly telling is about breaking boundaries.

‘We want to show our audience that music has no borders – that a youthful, energetic choir from Hong Kong can channel the soul of European contemporary music while firmly holding onto our local identity. It is a narrative of unity, growth and the limitless power of the human voice.’

A youthful sound with individual colours

The Mad Singers has built a strong profile quickly, and Wong is clear about what has shaped its identity. Ambition matters, but so do friendship, trust and the wider Hong Kong choral community.

‘Our rapid growth really stems from a combination of fierce artistic ambition, deep personal bonds and the nurturing environment of our home city,’ he says. ‘From day one, there has been an unrelenting desire among our singers simply to be good – to push past mediocrity and constantly chase excellence.’

That musical drive is rooted in a close ensemble culture.

‘We don’t just meet up to sing,’ Wong says. ‘We share our daily lives, and we have been through so much together, forging an unbreakable trust across local projects and demanding international tours.’

He also stresses the importance of the platforms that have supported the choir’s development.

‘Our identity is profoundly shaped by gratitude,’ Wong says. ‘We are immensely indebted to the Hong Kong choral community and the various local performing and competing platforms. They have provided the vital spaces and opportunities that have nurtured us as a rising generation of choral singers, allowing The Mad Singers to find its footing and its unique voice so quickly.’

That voice, in Wong’s view, is not built on a conventional idea of blend.

‘At our core, we possess a vibrant, youthful sound driven by a distinct and deliberate collective personality,’ he says. ‘There is a unique alchemy among our singers: we actively reject the traditional notion of blending for the sake of blending, which can often erase individual artistry.

‘Instead, we allow our musicians to retain their distinct vocal colours, working intuitively as a collective to find and feel a shared, organic pulse. This unified intuition allows us to tackle complex contemporary music with a rare emotional unity.’

It is an approach that places The Mad Singers in what Wong describes as a distinctive space within Hong Kong’s cultural landscape.

‘I dare say we occupy a distinct semi-professional space here – bridging the raw passion of an independent youth ensemble with the rigorous vocal standards, precision and ambitious programming of a professional choir,’ he says.

The choir’s development has already led to a major international milestone. The Mad Singers has been invited to perform at the World Symposium on Choral Music 2026, becoming the first mixed choir from Hong Kong to do so.

‘We are incredibly honoured,’ Wong says. ‘It is a testament to our growth and the global resonance of our unique sound.’

International exchange and young singers

For Wong, the value of a festival such as this lies not only in performance, but in the way it changes young singers’ understanding of themselves.

‘For our singers, international choral exchange is a transformative catalyst that goes far beyond simply performing on a different stage,’ he says. ‘It shifts their perspective from singing in an ensemble to belonging to a global community.’

That shift begins with listening.

‘Exposure to international choirs forces our singers to listen differently,’ Wong says. ‘For younger performers, hearing how ensembles from different cultures approach vocal production, phrasing and text interpretation is an invaluable, real-time masterclass. It shatters the bubble of their routine and introduces them to a vast world of diverse sonic palettes and contemporary techniques.’

There is also an emotional dimension. Contemporary choral music, he suggests, often asks singers to make themselves vulnerable.

‘Singing contemporary music requires an immense amount of vulnerability,’ Wong says. ‘When our youth step out of their comfort zone and share their music with a global audience – and receive that same vulnerability in return – it builds a profound sense of artistic confidence. They realise that their unique local voice has a rightful place on the world stage.’

International exchange also carries a wider cultural purpose.

‘Beyond the notes, it is a reminder that music is a universal language,’ Wong says. ‘For the younger generation, standing side by side with peers from around the world – sharing stories, languages and traditions – fosters deep cultural empathy.

‘They discover that while our histories and languages may differ, our core human expressions of joy, grief and hope are exactly the same.’

In that sense, The Mad Singers’ role at the festival is not only musical.

‘International exchange teaches our singers that they are not just performing pieces of music,’ Wong says. ‘They are acting as cultural ambassadors, bridging worlds one chord at a time.’

Hong Kong’s choral scene: ‘a hidden gem’

Wong describes the current Hong Kong choral scene as fast-moving, energetic and increasingly impossible for the international choral world to ignore.

‘The Hong Kong choral scene has developed at a firing speed over the recent decade, morphing into a dynamic, hyper-active community that international choral enthusiasts absolutely need to keep on their radar,’ he says. ‘We are a territory overflowing with passionate, high-calibre ensembles and brilliant young musicians.’

At the same time, he argues that the scene needs more formal support if it is to sustain its momentum.

‘To truly sustain this artistic momentum and compete sustainably on the global stage, our scene deserves significantly more structured support and funding from the government and official bodies,’ Wong says. ‘The sheer potential of what we can achieve here is already undeniable.’

He points to the World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association, rooted in Hong Kong, and its official partnership with the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing as evidence of Hong Kong’s growing international standing.

‘This kind of global alignment is proof that the Hong Kong choral scene is a hidden gem that has officially arrived on the world stage,’ he says. ‘And we are only heading upward.’

For visiting choirs and audiences, Wong believes one of the most important things to understand is that Hong Kong’s choral culture is still in the process of becoming.

‘I want visiting choirs and audiences to realise that Hong Kong’s choral culture is in the middle of a thrilling, foundational evolution – most notably through the rise of Cantonese choral music,’ he says.

The emergence of Cantonese choral repertoire is significant partly because it has been so difficult to create.

‘Historically, composing choral works in Cantonese has been notoriously difficult because it is a complex tonal language,’ Wong says. ‘If the musical melody doesn’t perfectly match the spoken linguistic tones, the meaning of the words is completely lost. For a long time, this creative constraint kept the genre relatively rare.’

Now, he says, a new generation of composers is finding ways to transform those challenges into a distinctive musical language.

‘Today, a brilliant new generation of local composers is successfully unlocking this language, turning those strict constraints into breathtaking, unique musical contours,’ Wong says. ‘While Cantonese choral music is still developing and finding its definitive form, the momentum here is undeniable.

‘I can confidently foresee more and more of these deeply authentic, homegrown works making their way onto the international stage, and I want our visitors to know that they are witnessing the birth of a brand-new sonic tradition right here in Hong Kong.’

Searching for a Hong Kong sound

That question of a developing tradition returns when Wong speaks about how audiences might remember The Mad Singers after hearing the choir for the first time.

‘Unlike regions with centuries-old choral traditions, Hong Kong doesn’t yet possess a singular, signature Hong Kong sound,’ he says. ‘Many choirs in our city achieve an incredibly high artistic standard, but as a collective culture, we are still incredibly versatile rather than defined by one specific sonic identity.’

For Wong, this absence of a fixed tradition is not a limitation. It is a space of possibility.

‘If someone is hearing us for the first time, I want them to remember us as an ensemble fiercely striving for excellence within that fluid landscape,’ he says. ‘I want them to hear the raw passion, precision and dedication we bring to the stage, and to realise that we are actively embracing the freedom of not being boxed into a traditional sound.’

The World Choir Festival gives The Mad Singers a chance to embody that freedom in front of both local and international audiences: to celebrate its own fifth anniversary, champion Hong Kong composers, explore contemporary sound worlds and take part in a wider conversation about where choral music in the city may be heading.

For Wong, the experience should leave a lasting mark on the singers.

‘Ultimately, my hope is that this journey at the World Choir Festival leaves an indelible mark on our singers across every facet of their lives,’ he says. ‘Musically, I want them to return with a heightened sense of artistic maturity and a broadened sonic imagination, having shared the stage and learned alongside incredible ensembles from around the globe.

‘Culturally, it is a brilliant opportunity to experience how diverse international traditions interpret choral music, allowing our singers to see their own local Hong Kong identity in a global context.’

Most of all, he hopes they take home confidence.

‘Perhaps most importantly, on a personal level, I want them to take home a profound sense of pride and validation,’ Wong says. ‘I want them to look back at this festival and truly realise that their individual voices matter, that their collective hard work belongs on an international platform, and that they have the confidence to keep shaping the future of our choral community.’

And for audiences, he hopes The Mad Singers will stand for something larger than a single performance.

‘More than anything, I hope they remember us as pioneers on a journey – dynamic, versatile and deeply committed to the ongoing search for what Hong Kong’s true choral voice can be.’